It's time to take a deep breath, call a time-out — and save taxpayers some money.

Just look around. We have a team struggling to find a stadium — and plans to spend $200 million on another stadium that doesn't have a team.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that the two efforts should be combined.

Instead of simply dumping $200 million into renovations at the Citrus Bowl — a football stadium that sits empty most of the year — the city should fix the Citrus Bowl to accommodate soccer, as well.

That's what Seattle did — put its soccer team in the same stadium used by NFL's Seahawks.

And soccer there is thriving. Several other Major League soccer teams play in mixed-use facilities, as well.

Sure, the so-called soccer "experts" told Seattle the same thing they're telling Orlando now — that soccer in a football stadium wouldn't work.

But Seattle proved the naysayers wrong — in spades.

Not only is the Seattle Sounders team successful in attracting fans, it's the most successful soccer franchise in North America.

Whereas teams in their "soccer specific" stadiums struggle to attract 19,000 fans a game, the Sounders bring in more than 40,000.

This past weekend, they attracted a season-high 53,679.

All that in a stadium that MLS said wouldn't work — just like they say now about Orlando.

A big part of the problem seems to be MLS's inferiority complex. The league is so concerned about being viewed a second-tier sport, it demands sole-use facilities.

But you know what? MLS isn't offering to build the stadium here in Orlando. So, until they do, Orlando taxpayers should do what's best for them. (Even though Buddy Dyer already spent tax dollars — much of it without council permission — on land for a new soccer stadium before anyone granted Orlando a team.)

Personally, I don't think taxpayers should ever be in the business of subsidizing professional sports, whether it comes from hotel taxes or anywhere else.

It's a morally bankrupt concept to take money from the public to underwrite the salaries of millionaire athletes and billionaire team owners.

That's why I objected when Magic owner Rich DeVos — the guy who rants about the evils of "welfare" for individuals — demanded corporate welfare of his own simply because he couldn't make the failed business model for his NBA team work.

But if leaders in this town are intent on using public money to subsidize private profits, they should at least be smart about it.

And there's nothing smart about building two stadiums for one team.

If there is an upside to soccer, it's that taxpayers get a better bang for their buck than with basketball. The stadium is cheaper. And whereas a new arena simply satiated an existing team, a new or renovated stadium would help Orlando land a new team that's part of a dynamic and emerging sport.

We could make that happen. We can bring big-time soccer to Orlando.

Soccer promoters simply need to recognize this community's financial realities and find a more cost-effective way to give everyone something to cheer about.